Ayanbadejo gets vindication, avoids fine

Brendon Ayanbadejo joked that he has been walking around the halls of the Ravens’ training facility a little slower because his pockets are full with money the inside linebacker thought he had lost.

On Friday, Ayanbadejo confirmed what he had written on his Twitter account, verifying that the NFL informed coach John Harbaugh that Ayanbadejo should not have been ejected from Monday night’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and that he will not be fined for striking right tackle Guy Whimper.

“My dauber has been a little down,” Ayanbadejo said, using a reference about his facial expression that extends from the Harbaugh household. “…He [Harbaugh] told me that and I was happy. … I’ve been happy the last two days.”

Ayanbadejo was ejected from the third quarter after he was whistled for unnecessary roughness for hitting Whimper. But it was Whimper who instigated the incident by shoving Ayanbadejo, and Harbaugh told Ayanbadejo that the league planned to discipline Whimper for his role in the fracas.

“I was anticipating that $50,000 fine because I know how the league does their business,” Ayanbadejo said, referring to the automatic fine associated with ejections. “They want to keep a clean league, and they want to keep the quality and integrity on the field. So I was anticipating getting that fine, but I’m glad that nothing showed up.”

Ayanbadejo said he feels slightly vindicated by the league’s ruling, but he said he would feel better if the Ravens had beaten Jacksonville.

“It is what it is,” he said. “At the end of the day, we lost a football game, and there’s no vindication from that. But I feel a lot better that I’m not getting fined $50,000.”